


Dragon's Treasure

by rea_grimm



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dragon Gaara, Dragons, Kidnapping, M/M, Prince Naruto, Princes & Princesses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:55:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24925015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rea_grimm/pseuds/rea_grimm
Summary: There is a prince living in the kingdom, who will soon turn 16 and must find a princess or a prince with whom he will later rule. Unfortunately, no one knows that the dragon will kidnap him and guard him as his treasure.
Relationships: Gaara/Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi/Uchiha Obito, Jiraiya/Tsunade (Naruto), Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama/Uchiha Itachi, Namikaze Minato/Uzumaki Kushina
Comments: 13
Kudos: 115





	1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time in the world of mighty kings, terrifying dragons and stories older than time itself, there was a country that was called Land of Fire. In this land was the kingdom Hidden in the Leaves. This kingdom was ruled by a very powerful but good King Minato with his wife Kushina.  
They had two sons together. The older son had long, dark orange hair, which he wore tied in a ponytail. Distinctive red eyes and three marks on each face that resembled whiskers. He was tall with an athletic figure, and since he was the firstborn, he was another successor to the throne.  
The younger son seemed to fall out of his father's eye. He had short tousled blond hair that shone golden in the sun. His eyes were bluer than the sky itself, and of course, he had the same "whiskers" as his brother. He was a head shorter than his brother, but by nature, he was much happier and more lively, even though they both loved jokes and fun.

Now Naruto, the king's younger son, was sitting by a beautiful pond, the surface of which was so clear that the stones at the bottom and the passing koi carps could be seen. This lake forms an invisible border between the royal garden and the deciduous forest, which stretched over most of the territory. That is why this kingdom was nicknamed Hidden in the Leaves. The prince sat on the shore wondering what to do. He doesn't want to marry someone he doesn't even know. He wants to marry someone he will love. He sighed sadly and pulled a small medallion from under his shirt, which gleamed beautifully in the setting sun. He began to hum a dragon song that his mother had once sung to him like a lullaby. He was comfortable there, so he switched from humming to singing. He had a pleasant melodic voice like his mother.

Suddenly a strong cold wind blew in and everything around him died down. The birds stopped singing and the murmur of the wind slightly frightened him.  
closely. He was relieved when a familiar face came out of the bush.  
„Kurama, what are you doing here?” he asked.  
„I followed you. After that fiasco, I thought I'd find you here,” and he offered him a kind smile.  
„If you're going to persuade me, you can leave right away. I won't change my mind, dattebayo.”  
„I know…” he replied, stepping closer. „... d o you want to know, why did I choose such a difficult task?”  
„So that everyone can see how strong and brave you are? ” Naruto smirked .  
„No, but to delay what your parents want from you. But at least you still have a choice. I'm not so lucky.”  
„What do you mean? "He asked blankly, playing with the medallion. The wind picked up strength and an inhuman roar came from behind the forest. „What was that?” h e exclaimed in horror.  
„I don't know, but it didn't sound very good,” Kurama replied quietly and began preparing his crossbow.

A huge dragon flew over the forest, its scales gleaming in the bright red and heading for them. Kurama fired at him, but the arrow only bounced off his body. That wasn't good.  
„Run, Naruto! And don't stop anywhere!” h e shouted at his brother and fired again. Naruto stood there like in a trance. A real dragon. He was so amazed that he didn't even notice what was his brother saying.  
„Naruto!” Kurama shouted, but in vain. The dragon already had his brother in its claws. Naruto didn't even dare to scream. From all of that, he felt sick and passed out.

But let's first say what happened before.

*-*-*-*-*

_Earlier that day_

„And what about Princess Hinata from the kingdom of Hyuga? She seems nice.”  
„Yeah, but she hardly get closer to me, she is constantly hiding, and when I look at her or talk to her, she faints. Plus, I'm pretty sick from her cousin, dattebayo”  
„Neji may not be the successor to the throne, but because of his great abilities, the king appointed him to be the princess's bodyguard,” his mother added as information. The mere thought that the arrogant, about the fate talking idiot who would keep an eye on him, disgusted him.  
„And what about the Uchiha kingdom. You got along quite well with Sasuke last time he was there,” his father tossed.  
„He? Never!” shouted the prince, crossing his arms over his chest.  
„Why not?” his parents asked.  
„He is constantly playing something extra, bragging about how great he is, how strong his kingdom is, and constantly cursing at his brother, who is much more bearable,” he snapped.  
„Naruto, you know you don't make it much easier for us,” King sighed.  
„So what's up! I don't want any of them and I won't marry any of them!” Naruto shouted at the entire castle.  
„Come on, Naruto, calm down, please,” his mother tried to reassure him.  
„And you know the law. You have to marry someone of royal blood, and these are all your age and noble blood,” his father tried to convince him.  
„Hmm, I'm not marrying any of them anyway. Why can't I choose a task like Kurama?”  
„Because Kurama took it as a task worthy of a king who proves he is worthy of the throne.!  
„Damn it,” he sighed.  
„At least let it go through your head,” both parents suggested when they saw their son's stubborn expression.  
„Not gonna happen, "he muttered to himself. He took one last look at the pictures of princesses and princes before leaving the room. Either they're terrible snobs, or they have their noses up until it rains in it. Just no one he might be interested in.

He knew the law well, but there was too much pressure. On the way to his room, he met Shikamaru and his father, who was a royal counsellor and tactician, as they went to the throne room. He got along well with Shikamaru, and sometimes they did some pranks together, but at the moment he wasn't in the mood. When he passed him, he just smiled sadly at him.

He wasn't too long in his room. He only took the locket under his pillow and left through the secret entrance. He stretched around the kitchen and then through a small underpass guarded by two guards. It was not a problem for the prince to sneak around them unnoticed. He made similar trips from the castle almost all the time. All he had to do was hide behind a corner and throw a stone on the opposite side. The idiots always jumped on it and went to check it out. So he had a free entrance. And we all already know where he was going.

*-*-*-*-*

_Back in present_

The prince slowly regained consciousness. He was lying on his stomach, on something very hard and cold. It pushed him everywhere. He opened his blue eyes slowly, and what he thought was a dream seemed more than real. He blinked in disbelief and tried to sit up. He leaned on his hands, but they slipped on gold coins, and Naruto fell directly to his face.  
„Ow,” he groaned and tried to sit up once more. This time much more carefully. Eventually, he succeeded, and the prince looked around in amazement.

He was in a large cave full of gold. Gold covered the whole, whole floor, and there were so many of them that it formed golden hills full of coins, jewellery, and other valuables, which were complemented by the coloured reflections of precious stones.  
„Wow, there's not that much gold in Dad's treasury, dattebayo” he joked in astonishment and tried to get up. It was difficult because his feet were falling into the golden ground, so he had to try not to slip. He didn't see much around him, so he decided to climb the golden hill in front of him. He didn't do well after two, so he climbed to the top after four. It took him a while, and he slipped to the ground several times, and it took him a lot of effort and concentration to keep from exploding.

But the view was worth it. He rejoiced at what he saw. He saw the corridor leading from this room. Fresh, cool air came from the corridor. He took a deep breath. He was only a few steps away from freedom. Maybe it was just a prank from his crazy friends.

But he immediately dismissed the idea when he noticed a giant winged lizard lying right in front of his path to freedom. His eyes were closed and he looked as if he were asleep.

The dragon had sand-coloured scales that cast red reflections. He looked stunning but scary at the same time. He was so much bigger, and it certainly wouldn't be a problem for it to catch him. He could swallow him like a raspberry. The throat tightened at the memory of the flight, and a chill ran down his spine.

Naruto leaned so far out of the pile of gold so he could see better until he fell over and went down the golden hill. He stopped close to the dragon's head. He hoped he hadn't woken him. The prince studied him for a moment. The dragon's head was down to his waist. Only this fact terrified him. He was so busy exploring the lizard when the dragon suddenly opened its eye. His white was black and his iris was as golden as the surrounding floor. His pupil was formed into a cross with four dots around.

The prince was frightened by the unexpected movement and immediately backed away, crashing into the golden mountain. The dragon kept his eye on him. Naruto took a step to the side and the lizard growled as if to warn him not to try anything. At least that's how the prince interpreted it and didn't even dare move. He was just standing there. After a moment that seemed like an eternity to Naruto, the dragon finally closed his eye and seemed to fall asleep again.

The prince took two steps to the test toward the exit, waiting for the lizard's reaction. Nothing happened. He took a few more small steps to rehearse, and when nothing was still happening, he left as quietly and carefully as possible. He was alert and hurried to the exit as fast as he could. He stopped at the very end.

He stood on a ledge a few feet above the ground. It was night and the moon was illuminating the surrounding forest. The prince did not intend to wait for a second and immediately climbed off the ledge. When he reached solid ground, he fled. He didn't know where, but he didn't care. Mainly to get away from the dragon.  
After a few tens of meters behind him, he heard a roar. Fear and adrenaline filled him, and he accelerated even more. He didn't stop until something flew over his head. He stopped and immediately pressed as close to the tree as possible so that he could not be seen.

Something flew over his head again. Naruto started sprinting again. He jumped over the branches and made his way forward. Unfortunately for him, he tripped over a branch and descended a small hill under which there was a small hollow into which he could hide. Which, of course, he did. He hid just in time as it rumbled over him. A dragon landed there. Naruto didn't even dare to breathe, so he won't catch dragon's attention. He sat there for a moment until he was sure the dragon had left or departed. He jumped to his feet and ran. He was so far away that he even saw the end of the forest. He was approaching the meadow. It was a risk, but he didn't care at the time.  
He ran into a green meadow and ran without looking back. Suddenly he heard a familiar roar behind him and a chill ran down his spine. After a few seconds, he was grabbed by two powerful scaly paws and he was no longer on solid ground. The dragon carried him back to the cave. During the flight, he looked below him and his stomach ached from the view. Or rather, he could imagine how he could fall and how there won't be even a greasy stain from him. Although he didn't like to admit it, he held on to the dragon's paws like a tick. Out of curiosity, he ran the scales over the dragon, and to his surprise, they were smooth and soft.

When they reached the cave, the dragon threw him on a pile of gold and growled at him. The prince shot him an angry and offended look. The dragon growled under his nose, left the cave, and blocked the entrance to the cave with a sand wall. This prevented anyone from entering the cave or out. However, it was very thin, so the moonlight shone slightly from it.


	2. Chapter 2

The prince was angry. He didn't want to stay in this cave forever. But what now? Naruto reached out and tried to break the wall but in vain. Although it did not seem so, the sand wall was as hard as stone. And even if a small crack or hole appeared in the wall, it repaired itself automatically. That bothered him. He got angry, kicked at the wall, shouted a few swear words at her, and finally went back to the bowels of the cave where he sat bored on the ground. He put his hand under his chin and wondered how to get out. Doing nothing and eternal silence was slowly killing him.  
„Ahhhhh, I'm going crazy!” he shouted out of nowhere and grabbed his head. „Think! You have to get out of here. You got out of a worse situation!” he told himself, jumping to his feet and setting out to examine the cave in detail. His enthusiasm gradually died as he found nothing useful at all. Only gold, jewellery, a few pieces of armour, bones and burns on the ground. He was bored again.  
A noise at the entrance to the cave tore him from his boredom. He looked around and picked up the first thing he found. A golden pan studded with gems. With that as a weapon, he was ready to detect the noise. He walked up to the wall and realized it must be a day. There was much more light shining through the wall. However, the wall didn't appear to have been broken and he could see nothing else around him.

Although he had no idea why he breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to return and froze in surprise. In front of him stood a person with his back to the prince. He'd suggested it was a boy. The person had red, short messy hair and very fair skin. He wore an equally red long sleeveless coat with a white shirt, which he thought might once have been white and whose sleeves were rolled up over his elbows.  
„Who are you and what do you want?!” Naruto shouted at him, ready to defend himself at any time. The redhead turned calmly and fixed his icy eyes on the prince who froze under his gaze.

But Naruto admired his eyes. He liked their light mint colour. But the boy had no eyebrows and a red mark over his left eye. He wanted to know what it meant, but he didn't want to ask. Rather, he should have paid more attention to his studies. Well, that doesn't change anything. Otherwise, Naruto was enchanted by his appearance, but not enough to be kind to that stranger.  
„Hey, I asked you a question, dattebay o ! ” h e shouted at him again.  
„No one, ”  he replied calmly and monotonously.  
„No  one ? You have to be someone! And how the hell did you get here ? ! ”   
„I know many ways to get back and forth.”  
„You're a thief, aren't you, dattebay o ? ” h e asked suspiciously. The redhead did n’ t answer, and instead turned and went deeper into the cave. „Where are you going?! I'm not done with you yet! ” h e shouted at him and followed him. What if the dragon returns, gets angry and burns him to ashes?  h e thought.  
„You have nothing to fear. The dragon always returns at sunset,” said the thief out of nowhere without turning to Naruto.  
„And you know this how?”  h e asked suspiciously.  
„I just know it. If he caught me, I wouldn't be here  anymore ,” he replied, settling down on a pile of gold as if it belonged it to him. Naruto sat across from him, keeping his eyes on him.  
„Who the hell are you? You look like a thief ,  dattebay o,”  the prince muttered under his nose.  
„I'm nobody, ”  the thief sighed, apparently tired of Naruto's constant mumbling.  
„You have to be someone! What's your name! ”  Naruto said.  
„Don't run from the dragon next time, it may not turn out well,” he said after a long time as if he hadn't heard his previous question.  
„I wasn't running, dattebay o ,” Naruto  defended himself, and the thief raised an invisible eyebrow, and it looked as if he had a slight twitch in the corner.  
„ Just, don’t do it next time.”   
„Sure,” he muttered to himself.

  
Once again, a deafening silence flooded the cave.  
„Are you from the castle? You look like a prince,” after a long time, the thief broke the silence.  
„I don't know what you're talking about,” he didn't like when someone called him a prince. That's what everyone called him, except for his friends and he didn't like it. As a result, they looked at him in distortion.  
„But you know. Your clothes betrayed you. You have the symbol of your kingdom on it. So these clothes can only be worn by members of the royal family. And your reaction shows that I have a hit, Your Highness.” that was the longest sentence he had ever heard from a thief, but it still bothered him.  
„Okay, you're right… Just don't call me that! I'm Naruto. Na. Ru. To. Dattebayo.”  
„Of course Your Highness.” it boiled in Naruto. After a short moment of suppressing his anger, he calmed down and tried to get some information from the thief.

What seemed like a long and boring day at first turned out to be quite pleasant for the prince. At first, it was a bit boring, because the thief didn't want to answer easy or difficult questions, but after a long time the atmosphere relaxed a bit and in the end, they talked almost about everything. But of course, Naruto spoke the most. The thief preferred to listen to the colourful stories of an energetic young man. He even caught himself as the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.  _That I could smile?_ The thief thought about himself.  
„Hey, are you listening to me?  Dattebay o, " the prince said to the thief, noticing that he didn't seem to be listening. The thief just nodded. He felt normal for a moment.  
The silence that followed disturbed the prince's stomach growling.  
„Well, that didn't sound very good," Naruto laughed. „Hmm, I'd like ramen," he dreamed.  
„Ramen?”  h e asked incomprehensibly.  
„Ramen is the best food in the world. And they have the very best in Ichiraku shop.  Mmm , ramen,” he began to drool at the thought of the  delicious meal . The thief looked to the exit of the cave. The sun was slowly setting down, threatening to set at any moment and cover the land in the dark.  
„I'll have to go . ..” he said and stood up. „... I don't want the dragon to find me,” he added, heading for the exit.  
„Sure, see ya later,” the prince said with a smile.  
„Goodbye, Your Highness," the thief smiled weakly and left the cave.  
„I heard that!  D attebay o, " Naruto exploded, settling on a pile of gold and watching the fiery disk fall wearily to the ground. Or at least what could be captured through the sand wall.

Slowly, his eyelids began to fall as the sand wall fell apart. The prince raised his head slightly. The dragon entered the cave and carried the corpse of a deer in its mouth. Blood was still dripping from the venison.  
The lizard walked over to the prince, who didn't even bother to back away. He just stared at the dragon with stern eyes. The dragon placed the corpse in front of Naruto and watched what he would do. The prince first inspected the still-warm carcass, then looked incomprehensibly at the dragon. The dragon poked its nose impatiently into the deer, pushing it toward the young man. Naruto fell ill from the view of the corpse. The dragon growled at the prince.  
„Never!" he snapped at the dragon and walked away from the carcass. The dragon growled again and pushed the venison closer to the prince again. However, he again withdrew from the carcass and had to do something to keep the contents of his stomach in place. The sight of a torn, bloodied body did him no good. The dragon was angry and black smoke billowed from his nostrils. Naruto was startled and swallowed hard. He had no idea what to do. He realized that he was teasing the dragon with this behaviour, but he wasn't feeling well about the corpse.  
„I-I can't eat this. I'll be more than happy to leave it to you. I'm not even hungry..." the prince muttered, but his stomach betrayed him and made a loud growling sound that resonated throughout the cave. He just smiled nervously, as the dragon studied him with a raised eyebrow. Or so it seemed.  
„It means nothing!" Naruto shouted, turning his back on him and playing offended. The lizard chuckled, lay down on a pile of gold, and watched him with one golden eye. Naruto glanced behind him but immediately turned back again.  
„I'm going to sleep!” he yawned falsely and hid behind a pile of gold, where he found a piece of pure land with no gold on it. He lay down and closed his eyes.  
_What's next? I should get out of here, but how? The dragon doesn't take his eyes off me and when he's gone, he'll create a wall I can't get through. Will the thief come again tomorrow? How did he get here? I should ask him about it..._ the re-growling of his stomach tore him out of his thoughts.  
„I'll starve to death sooner,” he muttered, trying to fall asleep. The ground was not warm at all and was mainly hard and uncomfortable, but much better than gold. In the end, however, the fatigue won and he fell asleep.

The next morning he woke up when the sun was already up. He stretched his aching body and sat down. He didn't see the dragon anywhere. He got up, stretched his legs, and headed for the exit. He was again blocked by a wall of sand. The prince sighed and returned to the pile of gold. He sat up and rubbed his belly, which growled loudly.  
„I'm going to starve to death," he whimpered.  
„We mustn't allow that," said the thief's voice. The prince immediately jumped to his feet.  
„Where are you?” he asked because he didn't see him anywhere.  
„Behind you, Your Highness," there was a hint of amusement in his voice. Naruto turned and stood face to face with the thief. A delicious smell hit him right in the nose and he began to drool.  
„Whatever it is, it smells like ramen," he said and licked his lips. His eyes glowed with excitement. The thief only nodded in agreement and handed him a bowl with chopsticks.  
„It's not the best breakfast, but it's better than nothing,” said the thief. The prince didn’t wait and began to eat.  
„Itadakimasu!” he said enthusiastically before eating. The thief sat across from him and watched him with interest. He never had much need to eat himself. „Aah, that was delicious,” he smiled, „thank you so much.”  
„It's okay,” he replied simply.  
„You don't talk much, do you?” silence flooded the room again.   
„Gaara,” the thief said suddenly.  
„Hmm?”  
„My name. You asked my name yesterday.”  
„Nice to meet you, Gaara," he smiled and held out his hand. Gaara looked at it and slowly handed him his own. Naruto squeezed it and his smile widened even more. „What are you doing here in the woods?” he asked.  
„I live here.”  
„And why don't you live in the city?”  
„I can’t.”  
„Why not?”  
„That’s a long story.”  
„Ah,” he replied dejectedly. He knew that pushing the subject wouldn't help him anyway. So he just lowered his head.  
„Do you have a family?" Gaara asked. With this, he revived Naruto again.

His eyes twinkled and he cheerfully began to tell a colourful story about his family. He first described to him his parents, how good his father was and a good king, and how beautiful his mother was and how she could get angry and how it was scary, and how his brother made all the jokes and pranks. Although he didn't like that his brother was too overprotective of him. He also complained to him about his parents' stupid plan to marry him. He also incorporated into his narrative a quick, colourful description with great exaggeration of choice, during which he scattered and pointed with his hands. The thief listened to him very carefully, and sometimes a fleeting smile flashed across his face.  
„... it's awful. I had originally planned to run away, but instead, I'm here,” he finished his story. Someone would wonder if his mouth didn't hurt from all this talking. „What about you? Can you tell me something about yourself? Where you come from? What about your family? Do you have siblings?”  h e asked.  
„My story is not nice at all and it definitely doesn't have a happy ending, "he replied after a moment of silence.  
„How so? What happened?” Naruto's curiosity  only grew.  
„Do you really want to know?” he asked. There was a hint of pain and sadness in his voice. Naruto nodded in agreement. „Well, I was born in the land of the wind, in a kingdom hidden in the sand. My father was a very influential and powerful man. My mother died during childbirth… I have or I had two siblings. Older brother and sister. Blood bound us, but we were not a real family. I have no idea why, but everyone in the kingdom was afraid of me. They looked at me like I was a monster… Although my father was a big man, everyone else looked at him just like me. One day a group came to the kingdom. They called themselves Akatsuki and provoked a revolt. They captured my family and tortured us. My father was finally executed in front of everyone's eyes . ..” Gaara paused, „ M y siblings were released and I was sent into exile. I left the kingdom and ended up here. I had to learn to survive here. That's the end of my story,” he finished.

Naruto was silent all the time, devouring his every word. When the thief finished speaking, tears welled up in the prince's eyes. „I'm so sorry,”  w as all he could get out of himself. Naruto leaned over and hugged him. „I'm sure it will be good,” he added, not planning to let Gaara go. The thief was overwhelmed by a strange, warm feeling. But he didn't understand why.  
Naruto finally pulled away and smiled soothingly, or rather, encouragingly. It warmed the thief's heart. The prince then invented all sorts of jokes, questions and light games. He tried to make Gaara laugh and learn more about him at the same time.

In the end, they spent the whole day together and completely forgot about time. Suddenly, Gaara grabbed his hand, which went through incredible and familiar pain. He had it on fire. Through the slit between his fingers, he saw the scales begin to form. It was clear that the sun would soon set. That meant waking the dragon. He had to go.  
„I have to go. The dragon is returning with the sunset,” he said hurriedly and stood up.  
„Will you be back tomorrow?" Naruto asked, grabbing his hand. The redhead jerked as if he had an illness and nodded in agreement after a short period of silence. In return, Naruto gave him one of his bright smiles.  
Gaara left, and the prince settled on a pile of gold. It wasn't comfortable, but he was slowly getting used to it. Before the dragon returned, the prince hid in his place behind a pile of gold and curled up in a ball. The dragon returned late at night when the prince was already asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The days in captivity slowly became weeks, during which the thief visited the prince every day and regularly brought him food. Their visits became a custom that they both looked forward to. They talked together, Naruto trying to play games with him while teaching him to smile. At times, they were both silent, but it was no longer such an awkward silence. Rather, they simply enjoyed the other's presence. The prince was no longer afraid of the dragon because he always slept during his presence, and the overgrown lizard did not seem to mind.

One day it was a cold night and an icy wind blew into the cave. Naruto was cold huddled in his corner, trying to get warm. He couldn't make a fire, so he was shaking and hoped it would get a little warmer soon. Eventually, he fell asleep exhausted but still shaking like an aspen.  
The dragon returned to the cave and lay down on the gold. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the silence. However, a strange clicking sound caught his attention. Prince's teeth were chattering. The dragon stood up and walked quietly to the prince. He lay down next to him, stretched out his wing, carefully pulling him closer to his body and covering him with his wing. The dragon finally fell asleep contentedly, and even the prince stopped chattering his teeth and slept peacefully all night.

Early in the morning, when the sun was already over the horizon, the prince woke up. He opened his eyes slowly. It was pleasantly warm. He stretched a little and found that someone had his hand over him. He turned slowly and saw Gaara sleeping next to him. He couldn't help but admit that the sleeping thief looked like an angel. The thief was immersed in sleep and apparently, it must have been a nice dream.  
Naruto tried to calm down, but he jerked and the thief opened his eyes sleepily. For a moment they shone gold, and for a moment they were the same as the dragons' ones.  
„Um, good morning,” Naruto smiled awkwardly.  
„Good,” Gaara muttered, half asleep. Finally, the thief sat lazily and rubbed his eyes. He didn't understand it at all. He never slept so well.  
„Are you sleeping here?” the prince asked.  
„Hmm, I came soon after the dragon left, and somehow I fell asleep,” he muttered, looking down.  
„Umm, all right,” Naruto replied, sitting across from him. The thief looked at the sand wall, stretched, and stood up.  
„I'll be back in a minute,” he said, disappearing behind the sand wall. That shook the prince's head. How did he do it? First, he woke up next to Gaara and he just leaves him here? Did something happen that he didn't remember? No matter what he thought, he came up with nothing. Finally, he pushed it out of his head, stood up, and walked over to the sand wall.  
He was trying to figure out where the thief was coming. No matter how hard he searched, he found no entrance.'  
It bothered him. He returned deeper into the cave and settled into a pile of gold, where he waited for Gaara to arrive.

Although he said a moment, for him it was like an eternity. As he had peace and space, his thoughts began to turn to his family. They must be worried about him. Dad is searching through the kingdom while trying to calm Mom. He could vividly imagine it. No, he shouldn't be able to do that. Well, at least he doesn't have to worry about getting married. What is his brother doing? He's either looking for him or he's fighting a dragon. Or both. What about his grandmother and grandfather? Does he even know he's gone? If so, Grandma will drown her grief in alcohol. Grandpa could write a book about him. At least not erotic. How he misses his family. Naruto pressed his legs together and rested his head on his knees.  
How long has it been since he's gone? Few days? Weeks? Or even months? Who knows.

Meanwhile, the thief walked through the forest and crept to the city. He didn't want to go there. Especially among all those people. He crept through the shadows until he came in front of a small shop. He looked around, grabbed a bowl of wands, and disappeared into the shadows again without anyone noticing. As he returned to the cave, he was struck by a strange feeling of anxiety that pressed against his chest. He immediately added in a step. In a moment he found himself before entering the cave. The sand automatically receded in front of him, creating an entrance. As you enter the cave, the entrance is repaired again.  
He entered the gold room, where he found Naruto curled up with tears in his eyes. He almost dropped the bowl of food when he saw it.  
„It took you a long time,” the prince tried to smile as he noticed that Gaara had returned. He wiped his eyes and looked at the bowl the thief was holding.  
„What is the delicious smell?” he asked.  
„Something to eat,” he squeezed from himself and handed him a bowl.  
„Hmm, it smells great,” he smiled warmly, smelled the food, and started eating right away. Gaara sat across from him and studied him.  
„Do I have something on my face?” the prince asked, his mouth full. The thief just shook his head.  
„Why did you cry?” he went straight to the point.  
„Me?...” he paused, „I was thinking about the family. I'm sure they're worried about me,” he replied sadly. The thief just nodded slightly and looked thoughtful. Naruto didn't want to elaborate much, so he preferred to eat in silence.

„I'll show you the secret way out,” the thief said suddenly, standing up and heading for the exit. Naruto followed in surprise. Gaara went behind a large stone and created a small passage there. Just big enough to crouch.  
„He was here all the time and I didn't notice him…” the prince muttered and went through a small hole. He straightened, closed his eyes, and stared at the sun. „It's nice to feel the sunshine and the breeze after a long time,” he smiled, opened his eyes, and looked at Gaara, who was watching him. „Shall we race down? Who will be the last is a slipper!” he didn’t wait for an answer and ran down the slope into the woods. The thief followed without expression. Of course, Naruto finished first and fell into the grass. „That's so nice,” he dreamed. The thief also lay down on the grass. They watched the clouds for a moment before Naruto got up, tapped Gaara on the shoulder, said, „You have it,” and ran away.

Gaara just smirked and went after him. They stroked and teased like this for a while until the prince came up with the idea for another game.  
„What if we played hide-and-seek, you're counting,” he smiled. Gaara, who was also smiling, nodded in agreement and began to count. Naruto didn't delay for a moment and, quietly like a cat, crept through the woods until he found what he was looking for. A green shrub, the centre of which could not be seen through the leaves and twigs at all. He immediately hid in it.  
„... 99, 100. I'm coming!” Gaara called, and set out to find the prince. He had no idea where to look. These games ignited his inner dragon in him, and he had no plans to let his prey escape. He walked through the woods, straining all his senses and trying to find him. He looked behind the stones, into the treetops and piles of leaves, but nothing. Slowly, another feeling began to devour him. Slowly, fear gripped him, giving him the thought that he would never find him again. He didn't even realize he was shaking. He tried to involve his dragon senses in the search but in vain.  
„Naruto?” he called, but without an answer. Naruto just tried to suppress a laugh. He was sure he would never find him there, and he was right. The thief approached the bush, brushed off a few branches, but still couldn't find him. It was a very dense and large shrub.  
„Naruto,... I'm giving up.” his voice shook. The prince saw it all. As Gaara stood with his back to him, he dared to leave his hiding place carefully, sneaked up behind the thief, hugged him, and shouted, „I, have you!”

Gaara turned in surprise and was on the verge of tears. He didn't want Naruto to see the tears, but he couldn't control himself. Immediately, Naruto was pulled into a giant, firm embrace.  
„Never do this to me again. You can't even imagine how afraid I was that I wouldn't find you, ” he whispered, resting his head on the prince's shoulder.  
„Ga-Gaara… a..air…” Naruto hissed. Gaara reluctantly released him, and when he realized what had happened, he looked down at the ground. „That's better,” prince rubbed his back. Although the thief's confession surprised him slightly. He reached out and grabbed his hand.  
„It's okay, I'm here with you,” he tried to encourage him. Gaara raised his head and looked into the prince's blue eyes, where he could drown. He stepped closer to him until they were almost touching. He took the prince lightly by the chin, pulled him closer, and before anyone knew anything, pressed his lips to his. The kiss was gentle as if he feared he might fall apart under his lips.

Naruto was surprised, but he gave in very quickly, and even if it seemed like a long time, he wished it would take longer. Eventually, Gaara broke the kiss himself, and he pulled away, his eyes gleaming gold. The dragon inside him was hot and wanted to enjoy the treasure even more, but his head tried to think rationally. They didn't even notice that black clouds had gathered over the forest, slowly lowering their drops to the ground.

They both looked at each other's eyes, and neither dared to break the frightening silence. Naruto was red behind his ears, and blush was visible on Gaara as well. The only noise was falling drops, which turned into heavy rain.  
„I'm sorry, I got carried away,” Gaara said at last, but it didn't sound like an apology. Rather, it was in his voice that he wanted more.  
„T-That's all right, dattebayo,” Naruto replied, feeling like Princess Hinata for a second. The thief didn't expect this answer.  
„So will it be okay to try again?” it was he who pressed his lips to his. So there the two stood in the embrace and captivity of their kisses, completely soaked in the unrelenting rain.


	4. Chapter 4

„We should come back before you catch a cold,” Gaara said seriously, with a hint of concern. Naruto smiled from ear to ear and nodded in agreement.

They went to the cave together and the wet things that stuck to them didn't make it much easier for them. Although it wasn't clear through the dark clouds whether it was still day or night, Gaara knew it very easily. During the trip, he got a very familiar and unpleasant feeling, when his hands began to burn and gradually his whole body. He stopped in place and immediately pulled down the sleeves of his shirt.  
„Go ahead, the dragon will return soon and I wouldn't want to end up burned to ashes… Don't worry, I'll come again tomorrow as soon as the dragon leaves,” he said in a hurry.  
„I'll take your word for it,” Naruto replied, running to the cave a few feet in front of him, knowing anyway that Gaara would keep his word. The thief, meanwhile, stumbled through the trees, trying to overcome the pain that always accompanied the change.

Meanwhile, Naruto reached the entrance to the cave. Wet on the bone, he tried to find the entrance Gaara had shown him before, but in vain. No matter how hard he searched, he found nothing. Tired, he leaned against the sand wall and rested his head on his knees. As he was soaked, he was overwhelmed by the incredible cold. He was shaking. He tried to warm up, but he didn't do well in the constant rain. After a while, he fell asleep from exhaustion and trembled in his sleep.

The sun was already setting and the dragon was returning to the cave. He noticed a prince at the entrance. He let the sand wall disappear and carefully took the prince with his paw. The prince shuddered slightly but otherwise slept on. He went into the cave with him and carefully laid him down. A few feet away, as if to set fire to the ground, he spewed fire. Then he lay down on the scorched earth, which warmed him pleasantly and looked one last time at the prince. Sweat ran down the blonde's head, he was as pale as a wall, and he was constantly shaking.  
The lizard took the prince in his paw, curled into a ball, and covered him with his body. He closed his eyes and a cavern began to echo a quiet growling melody.

The first rays of sunlight illuminated the cave, and the golden light came out of its entrance. The prince lay curled up in Gaara's embrace. He was no longer shaking but instead was as pale as freshly fallen snow. Gaara woke up first. He quickly checked on Naruto and then went out for water. When he returned he found the prince in the same place. He set the water aside and placed bread next to it, along with a piece of cheese and a handful of wild berries. He paid the most attention to the small pouch he placed next to him.  
It was approaching noon when the prince finally slowly opened his eyes. As soon as he looked around, he immediately tried to sit up. Unfortunately, he didn't have that much strength, his arms broke and he would almost have fallen if he hadn't been caught by two strong arms.  
„You should rest. You had a terrible fever at night,” Gaara said, slowly releasing him and handing him a jug of water.  
„Thanks, dattebayo, "he replied and drank.  
„Lie down, I'll go get something to eat,” Gaara wanted to get up, but Naruto stopped him.  
„Don't go, dattebayo,” he laid his head on Gaara’s lap and smiled weakly, „I'd rather you be here with me like this... Will you stay here until the dragon returns?”  
„I promise,” he replied, leaning forward and kissing him on the boiling forehead. The prince was feverish again. Naruto smiled, and without wanting, his eyelids dropped and he fell asleep. „When you recover, I will have a surprise for you,” the thief whispered, just before the prince's sleep took over.  
As promised by Gaara, he didn't move away from him for a minute. In the meantime, he had plenty of time to think about his surprise. Why did he say that when he had nothing ready?  
He looked back at the cave. The sun was still above the horizon. It was slowly but surely declining. When Naruto wakes up and gets better, he'll be hungry. He should jump into town and get something. Although he had a few hours before sunset, unfortunately, the city wasn't close.  
He got up carefully without waking Naruto and headed exit. Maybe if he hurries, he'll make it. It will be a risk he likes to take.

He left the cave inaudibly and headed for the city as fast as he could. He looked at the city borders to see how much time he had left. Not much. The sun's disk slowly began to touch the earth.  
He took a quick step to the streets. He stuck in the shadows, and when no one was looking, he managed to get something to eat. Specifically bread, instant soup in a plastic bowl, a few tea leaves and an old water kettle.  
„Will you come to see the fireworks with us tomorrow? It will be amazing,” the boy told the girl and her friend.  
„There will be a lot of food,” the other drooled.  
„I don't know if I can,” the girl replied uncertainly.  
„Here's the flyer. You can decide in peace and then let us know,” with that, the group broke up. But before they broke up completely, the boy affixed a poster to a wooden fence.

Gaara even waited, and when the air was clear, he tore off the poster and shoved it into his pocket. He looked up at the sky and was taken aback. She had to get out of town as quickly as possible because the sun almost set. Immediately he ran to the exit. He didn't care if anyone saw him or not. He got behind the walls, and he still ran as fast as his legs could. He didn't even look at the sky. He knew he would change soon, but something seemed different. So far he had felt no pain or burning.

He ran to the cave, where he finally allowed himself a little rest. He walked quietly inside and found Naruto still asleep. Carefully setting things aside, he walked over to the prince and placed his hand lightly on his forehead. He didn't have it so boiling anymore. That was good news. Gaara lay down next to the prince, staring at the ceiling. He wondered what changed tonight. He raised his hand to the ceiling. He noticed a few small scales that merged with the skin in a moment and there was no sign of them. Something was happening to him, and he realized it. After all, before he met Naruto, he couldn't sleep for fear that his inner dragon would start to rage. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

He awoke at dawn, stretching. The prince was still asleep. The thief started a fire and boiled water in a kettle. First, he poured the soup and then into the rest of the water, pouring the tea leaves.  
The prince awoke to the pleasant smell of tea and soup. He stretched like a cat and rubbed his eyes.  
„How does his Royal Highness feel?” he asked with a smile but concern in his voice.  
„I feel good, maybe a little stiff, but it passes,” he sat down „what is that wonderful smell?”  
„Soup and tea for strength,” he said, handing him food.  
„Thanks,” he said and began to eat. The hot food did him good. With each bite and sip, he felt his strength return.

As soon as the bowl and the tea were empty, Gaara got up and held out his hand. Naruto accepted her and stood up. They headed out of the cave together.  
„Where are we going?” he asked as they walked along a small forest path.  
„I promised you a surprise when you were sick. I'm just doing what I promised,” Gaara replied, leading Naruto to the village where he had heard about the fireworks. Besides, he wanted to take Naruto to a normal meal. Because of that, he also took some gold from the cave.  
„Is that what I think it is?” Naruto asked as he saw the walls of the village. Gaara was silent and smiled faintly. „After such a time again in the city. I can't wait,” he rejoiced and added to the pace.  
„Would you go somewhere in a certain place?” Gaara asked, just watching Naruto's eyes sparkle with excitement.  
„Hmm, we could look around the city first and see what we're interested in,” he suggested and walked. Gaara walked quietly beside him. People passing by avoided them in an arc. But neither of them noticed.

„I already know what we will have to eat,” the prince exclaimed when a booth with Ichiraku ramen appeared in front of them. Unbeknownst to him, he took Gaara's hand and pulled him to the booth. They sat down next to each other and Naruto ordered food.  
While Gaara ate one bowl, Naruto caught three. Thief wondered where it disappears into a prince.  
„I'm full. It was great. I didn't eat a better frame,” he praised.

When Gaara paid, they went to look at the markets. They walked from booth to booth until they stopped at a booth that focused on myths and magic. Naruto looked at everything as Gaara thought it was crap. The prince's attention was drawn to two pendants that were joined.  
„Are you interested in the Alterum crystal?” the merchant began. Naruto nodded in agreement. „This crystal is special in that it doesn't have a specific shape. It changes its shape when it is put on by two soul mates who share a bond stronger than any metal. They will turn into something that characterizes individuals, but when they come together, nothing divides them and they don't fit into anything else,” he explained.  
„One minute,” he told the salesman, turning to Gaara with pleading eyes. „ Please, please.”  
Gaara couldn't say no to his dog's eyes, so he paid for the pendants. Naruto took them over, put on one part, and put the other on Gaara's neck. As they were together, the pendants lit up and joined together. Once the light went out, the pendants were joined in yin and yen style. Naruto's part looked like a crystal dragon, while Gaar a 's looked like a fox. Naruto touched them and the two pendants separated.  
„The salesman was right,” the prince wondered.  
„It is known that he had. I'm not lying about my goods,” the salesman laughed.

Together, they went through the markets and slowly it was time for the grand finals. Gaara led Naruto out of the village back to the cave, from where it was faint to see the village and at the same time which was a wonderful view of the sunset. Although Gaara was worried that he would change, he didn't want to make hasty decisions.  
„Here is a beautiful view. Thank you so much for taking me out,” Naruto smiled happily and Gaara felt pleasant.  
„Don't thank me, that's not all,” he replied, nodding at the village, which, to the cheers of the people, flooded the colourful light of the fireworks. The colour show was breathtaking. Naruto couldn't take his eyes off the spectacle. Unbeknownst to one of them, Gaara placed a hand on Naruto's and tangled his fingers. The prince stepped closer and rested his head on Gaara's shoulder.  
„This was the best day of my life. Thank you so much.”  
„You have nothing to thank for. I never thought I could be so happy,” Gaara said.

They sat there together long after the fireworks were over, just watching the stars to the music of the city.  
„Look, a falling star. Make a wish,” Naruto pointed out. „Do you have any wishes?” Gaara thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. „You don't have to tell me, just wish it... I wish to stay by the side of the person I really like.”  
„That's a nice wish. And who do you like?” he asked shyly.  
„That's a secret,” Naruto smiled.

They watched the stars together until they were tired and returned to the cave. There they lay side by side.  
„I wish there were more days like today,” Naruto yawned before he fell asleep. In the meantime, Gaara came up with a great plan for the next day before he fell asleep.  
  



	5. Chapter 5

Early in the morning, Gaara woke up just at dawn. Naruto was still peacefully asleep. The thief stretched and set out on his plan, which had been in his head since the evening. He made a quick breakfast, which consisted of bread, cheese, a few eggs and milk.  
Naruto woke up just as the thief prepared everything. It was almost as if he had woken up by smell.  
„Good morning, Your Highness,” Gaara greeted him with a smile.  
„Morning…” he replied between yawns.  
„I made breakfast... and then I found a place nearby... where I would like to go with you,” Gaara squeezed and looked hesitantly into Naruto's eyes.  
„Thank you very much and I can't wait!” he rejoiced and hugged Gaara. He was completely taken by surprise.  
„I'm glad to hear that,” he said when Naruto released him from his embrace.  
„Would you like to have breakfast with me today?” the prince asked. Gaara hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. He sat closer to Naruto and they went to breakfast together, during which they didn't talk much.

After breakfast, they finally left the cave. Gaara led the way. They zigzagged through the trees until they finally had a view of the giant lake, the surface of which shimmered with the sun's rays.  
„Wow, that's a wonderful view. "Naruto marvelled, his eyes glistening like the surface of the lake. Gaara had something on his tongue, but before he could say anything, Naruto was already running to the lake, taking off his shoes and leaving them behind. The thief followed calmly and smiled briefly. He also took off his shoes and sat in the shade of a tree nearby.

The prince was shirtless and knee-deep in water.  
„The water is nice! Come and join me, dattebayo!” he called to Gaara.  
„I'd rather wait here!” he called back.  
„Please!” Gaara just shook his head and smiled eloquently.  
Naruto wanted Gaara to join him, so he devised a devilish plan. He got deeper into the lake, where the water was a little over his chest. He waved at Gaara, caught his attention, and took a step forward. He stepped badly, his foot slipped, and Naruto ended up underwater.

Gaara saw it all, and of course, he was on his feet. He waited a minute if Naruto emerges but in vain. He panicked. Without thinking, he ran into the lake. He reached the place where he had last seen the prince. He searched hopelessly for him.  
„Naruto!?” he called, but in vain.  
Turning his back to the shore, he kept looking. Naruto, meanwhile, had the whole situation firmly in his hands. He knew that Gaara would come for him, and without the thief noticing, he circled him. Gaara was looking for him in-depth, and it never occurred to him that he might be behind him. This gave Naruto an advantage. He quietly got behind the thief. At the best moment, he shouted, „I got you!” and jumped on him. Gaara was startled and they both fell into the water.

When they emerged, the prince smiled as the thief shot him a murderous look.  
„Fun.…” Naruto laughed.  
„You'll pay for this,” Gaara said. He looked upset at first, but his expression turned to a smile. Before Naruto could even think for running away Gaara was already splashing at him. What seemed like a bad end as soon as possible turned into an afternoon full of laughter and fun.

As time passed, the sun slowly set and the two settled by a small fire that warmed them pleasantly. They sat side by side, and without realizing it, the thief had his hand on the prince.   
„I would never have thought that being kidnapped by a dragon would end up so well. The last few days, in particular, have been amazing.”  
„I'm glad you're happy about that,” Gaara smiled.  
„I wish I could be so free in the castle as well,” the prince dreamed.

After a moment of pleasant silence, the bushes behind them rattled and they both turned to see what was making that sound. When they thought it was just a squirrel or another forest animal, a young man a few years older than the two climbed out of the bush. At first glance, it was clear from his attitude that they were nobles.  
„I finally found you, Naruto,” he said with relief.  
„Kurama… ” the prince couldn't believe his eyes, „ what are you doing here?”   
„That's what I should ask. What are you doing here with this?” he said in disgust, pointing to Gaara.  
„Leave Gaara out of this! Without his help, I wouldn't have been able to get out of the dragon cave!” Naruto defended him bravely.  
„Interesting,” was the only thing Kurama answered and studied the thief. „I saw you leave the city in a hurry…” he said thoughtfully and drew his sword in slow motion. „You are the one who kidnapped Naruto! You monster!” Kurama said angrily as he put all his tracks together and lunged at Gaara.

„Kurama, wait!” Naruto shouted, throwing himself in front of Gaara to protect him.  
„No…” Kurama exhaled, realizing that he could no longer stop the attack and that he would hit his little brother.  
But before the sword could touch Naruto, his medallion, which he had taken from the castle, glowed gold-red and wrapped its owner in a thick, red-blooded cloak. The sword broke on the cloak and fell out of Kurama's hand. The prince cried out in pain, and his whole body was completely wrapped in that cloak of strange energy.  
Now he looked more like a humanoid fox with three tails, which gradually increased until there were nine. It no longer seemed that it was still Naruto, but rather a fox that growled dangerously. They both took a step or two away from him.  
„Na-Naruto? "Kurama asked hesitantly. The answer was a warning growl. He tried to get closer to him but was thrown by one of the fox's tails.  
„Naruto, can you hear me?…” Gaara asked cautiously. The fox turned on him. „... Do you understand what I'm telling you?” he continued, trying to calm him down, but he was roughly interrupted by the older prince.  
„Get away from him, monster!” he shouted at the thief, stepped between him and the fox and drew a dagger at Gaara. The fox didn't like it and was about to jump on him.  
Gaara noticed what he was up to and pulled Kurama aside. The fox became angrier and angrier. It increased in size as the rage grew. In a few moments, she was as big as Gaara in dragon form.  
She waved her giant paw intending to hit both of them. Fortunately, Gaara was able to save both at the last moment. However, the fox still scratched his hand and he revealed a few scales.


	6. Chapter 6

He stood there as if in a trance. This only happened to him at dusk, and not at all for the last few days. But he didn't have time to think about the injury, as the fox stretched out to strike again.  
Maybe, his head flashed, maybe if he was in his dragon form, he would have a chance to calm Naruto down. He had never tried to transform into a dragon before, but nothing better occurred to him.

He decided to throw Kurama into a bush and hid behind a huge tree trunk. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He tried to concentrate. As he began to think he wouldn't succeed, he felt the familiar heat that accompanied his transformation.  
The fox, meanwhile, noticed him and was about to destroy the entire tree with a single blow. At that single moment, instead of Gaara, there was a dragon that could easily cover the foxes' attack and push it aside.  
The dragon didn't waste a minute and launched a counterattack. However, his attacks were not deadly, but he tried to slow down or stop the fox. Unfortunately for him, as the foxes' anger grew, so did her strength.  
The creatures exchanged attacks, but they didn't seem tired. To man, it might have looked like a duel of titans.

The dragon got behind the fox, grabbed her from behind and tried to hold her. In vain. She easily got out of his arms and bounced him back a few feet. The lizard flew into the cloud and circled over it for a moment before the ground beneath her feet turned to sand. She began to break into him slowly. She tried to dig out but instead sank deeper. When the sand was up to her chest, the dragon began to spew fire at her. It was so hot that the sand began to turn into glass. As soon as the fire stopped, the fox roared sharply until the treetops shook.  
She was wearing no signs of fire. She was trapped in a glass hole. At least that's what the dragon thought. With several sharp and strong blows, she shattered the glass of a million shards and jumped out of the hole directly onto the dragon. They crashed into the lake together.  
There, their duel continued for a long time before they surfaced. Both, already quite exhausted and with serious injuries, remained motionless on the shore, breathing weakly.

Naruto changed from a fox back to his form, and so did Gaara. But Gaara was much worse off. He was bleeding heavily from numerous wounds, breathing intermittently and weakly. He was paler than before, almost like death. Blood ran down his face and taped his eyelids. He opened his eyes slightly to see Kurama standing vaguely above him with a dagger in his hand.  
„I guess you have a lucky day today because I'll leave you at your mercy for your injuries. I'm not in the mood for you and I don't have enough energy,” Kurama spat, tucked in his dagger, carefully took his brother in his arms and walked slowly with him, though he was also injured and could barely stand. Gaara just exhaled wearily and slowly closed his eyes.

Back to the castle

The prince lay bandaged in his clouded bed, covered with blankets and a small strip of light shone through the crack between the curtains.  
The prince opened his eyes sleepily and had no idea where he was. He rubbed his eyes and sat up slowly. He didn't even make it fast. His whole body ached and he had no idea why. In the end, however, he knew his room easily. His eyes then fell on his hands. They were in bandages. Like the rest of his body. He grabbed his head and tried to remember what had happened.  
He was with Gaara by the lake and they had a pretty good time. Then ... Kurama showed up and ... and attacked Gaara. He tried to save him and so he stood in front of him. That's all he remembered. As he tried to keep looking in his memory for what had happened, his head ached and all he saw was red. He sincerely hoped Gaara was okay.

A faint knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.  
„ Come in,” Naruto called, and his father entered the room with his mother. Before anyone could say anything, the Queen engulfed Naruto in a close embrace.   
„Oh Naruto, I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried about you.”  
„Just you?” Minato didn't forgive and sat down next to his son. „Welcome home, Naruto,” he smiled kindly. Prince was moved and tears welled up in his eyes.  
„I missed you so much,” and he hugged them both.  
„When you're better, you have to tell us everything that happened to you, don't you?” Kushina began after a moment, as their moment of emotion and hug passed.  
„And, of course, I will punish the one who kidnapped you,” Minato said.  
„I was kidnapped by a dragon,” Naruto replied, beginning to feel very bad.  
„Honey, Kurama told us everything,” the prince paled noticeably.  
„What exactly did he say?”  
„The young man he found you with was also the dragon that kidnapped you. Although we don’t yet know the reason for his actions, it is clear that he will pay for them,” Minato replied seriously.  
„No, Gaara would n’t kidnap me. He tried to help me!”  
„That Gaara is very dangerous.”  
„ He’s not!”   
„Naruto, please try to understand us,” the King tried.  
„No! Because Gaara can't be a dragon. He doesn't say much, but he's very nice. I know it.”  
„What if we talked about it when you're fully recovered?” Kushina said, hugging her son once more.  
„I'm fine,” he muttered angrily.  
„Try to rest,” Minato smiled, and he and Kushina left the room.

The prince listened to his parents' footsteps, and when he was sure they were far enough, he jumped out of bed and quickly changed. He also took a cloak and a bag with things for the expedition. He walked to the door, put his ear to it, and listened. Silence. That's exactly what suited him. He opened the door, stuck his head out, and looked around. Fresh air. He closed the door quickly behind him and headed for the exit. He was about to turn the corner when a voice came from behind him.  
„Where do you think you're going?!” Kurama said sternly. A chill ran down Naruto's back and he turned to his brother.  
„Nowhere,” he replied.  
„So why are you wearing things for the expedition?”  
„…” the prince couldn’t find the right words.  
„You're not going anywhere. Go back to your room,” he ordered calmly.  
„Not until I find him!”  
„I will not allow that!”  
„I don’t care! I need to make sure he's okay!”  
„He's most likely dead,” he snapped coldly. It shook Naruto completely.  
„I don't ... I don't believe it!” he shouted, tears welling up in his eyes.  
„He was seriously injured when I left. No one would survive this,” that was too much for the prince. He fled in an instant, but Kurama grabbed him lightly and trapped him in his arms. The prince tried to break free but in vain. When the prince finally calmed down, Kurama finally released him. Naruto wiped away his tears and glared at his brother. Kurama didn't know such behaviour in his brother.  
„Naruto…” he tried to calm him down.  
„Leave me alone,” he replied coldly and walked away. His older brother didn't even try to stop him.


	7. Chapter 7

Naruto slammed into his room, letting his emotions surface. How could he leave him alone? What if he never sees him again? What if he's really dead? Such thoughts raced through his head. Finally, exhausted by tears, he fell into bed and fell asleep. In the evening, he was awakened by a knock on the door.  
„Young prince, dinner will be in ten minutes,” the maid said.  
„I'm not hungry,” he shouted sleepily at her.  
„His Majesty wishes your participation.”  
„Okay, I'll be there,” he grumbled. First, they tell him such bad news and then they act like nothing. He didn't like that. He got up and lazily went to the dining room.

He went inside and, without smiling, sat quietly in his place. Instead of swallowing his food quickly, as always, he poked around. He ate about three bites before announcing he had had enough and left the room. The royal couple just looked at each other worriedly, but they said nothing. As if they thought their son would sleep and be as before.  
Unfortunately, this didn't happen. Instead, the prince shut himself in. All the joy disappeared from his face, replaced by sadness and moments of apathy. Not even the best court clowns could cheer him up. About a month passed, and Minato and Kushina were desperate. Arrangements, threats or shouting and tears didn't help at all.

„What are we going to do? I feel like Naruto is moving away from us every day,” Kushina began, walking back and forth across the throne room.  
„I know. It can't go on like this... "Minato replied dejectedly, trying to figure out how to return a smile to his son.  
„I took him to his favourite ramen yesterday and he looked like he didn't like it,” she collapsed at her husband. „What are we going to do?” she asked.  
„What would Jiraiya say to that? "Minato smiled weakly at the memory of his father. „Of course, Jiraiya,” rejoined the King.  
„Do you think your dad can help Naruto?”  
„I'm sure of it. Naruto loves him very much. And from many aspects. Especially when he helps him with the knight training I forbade him.”  
„I think you're right,” Kushina smiled at the memory of her little boy playing with his grandfather.  
As decided, Minato began writing a letter outlining his concerns about Naruto. As soon as he finished the letter properly, he had it sent by a postal falcon.

Three days later, early in the morning, the whole castle panicked. None of the staff knew that the king was expecting a visit in such a short time. And they were all surprised when Tsunade and Jiraiya entered the castle discreetly down a side corridor. All the personnel could go crazy, even though the king warned them. And even though the castle was clean, tidy, the rooms were ready to receive a visit at any time, so all of a sudden everyone had problems, but that's a different story. The elderly couple headed to the throne room, where Minato was processing some documents.  
„If you continue like this, it will engulf you in a moment,” Jiraiya smiled.  
„I have to agree with him for once,” Tsunade added.  
„Mom, Dad, I'm so glad to see you. "Minato immediately gave up his job and went to greet his parents. „I'm so glad you arrived, but I thought you wouldn't be here so soon.”  
„As for Naruto, we wanted to help as soon as possible.”  
„Is it that serious?” Tsunade asked.  
„He has changed incredibly since that incident. I don't know how to help him. He doesn't even laugh anymore…”  
„I don't need to know more. This is a very urgent situation,” Jiraiya interrupted.  
„Don't worry Minato, I'm sure we can handle it,” Tsunade smiled.  
„I hope so,” Minato smiled weakly.

Jiraiya and Tsunade set out to visit Naruto. Jiraiya quietly opened the door and peered into the room with a smile. He saw only a sleeping Naruto huddled in blankets.  
„Naruto,” Tsunade said softly. No answer, of course. „Maybe we should wait when he wakes up. Sleep helps, too,” he walked over to her grandson, stroked him lightly, and headed for the door.  
„Aren't you going?” she turned to her husband.  
„I think I'll look around. You can go first,” he replied, walking over to the table, which contained a few letters to his parents and one to Gaara.  
„Do as you see fit,” Tsunade turned and left.  
„You fooled everyone else, including Grandma, but you just won't fool me. I know all your tricks. I taught them myself,” Jiraiya sat on the edge of the bed and turned to Naruto.  
„Grandpa…” Naruto smiled weakly and sat down.  
„I've heard a lot of bad news lately. And the worst part was that you didn't want to laugh or eat anymore, and I'm worried about you.”  
„I just don't want to laugh. There’s nothing to laugh about,” he snapped.  
„I heard you were kidnapped by a dragon, right?”  
„The dragon kidnapped me,… and my brother took me back to the palace,” he replied sadly.  
„Well, I'd rather not mess with it. Let's turn the page. Did you train during my absence? I wonder if you have learned any new tricks?” Jiraiya began cheerfully. Naruto just nodded in agreement. „And will you show me what you learned?”  
„As you wish,” he replied apathetically, and together they set out for the training ground, which was deserted at the time.

Naruto fought the dummy but didn't have any fun. Jiraiya encouraged him, but that didn't help either, so he evaporated in the middle of the show. After a while, the prince himself noticed and stopped. Instead, he sat in the shade of a huge tree and closed his eyes. As soon as he closed them, he saw the bloodied Gaara in front of him. That didn't help his mood.  
„After such a performance, what a little refreshment?” his grandfather's voice interrupted him. Naruto slowly opened his eyes and saw Jiraiya with two popsicles in front of him. He handed one to him. they sat on a small bench where they sat when the prince was smaller.

He only succeeded for a moment while trying to make him laugh. After a while, Tsunade joined in, but she had little patience and gave up after a few attempts. That's how Naruto spent the rest of the day with his grandfather. It was slowly approaching evening, and of course, it was time for dinner.  
„What would you say if we had ramen from your favourite restaurant for dinner? ” Jiraiya asked as they were about to return to the castle.  
„Really?” now, as if a spark of life had ignited in the prince's eyes. Now just keep it.  
„ Super really,” Jiraiya smiled.  
„Super,” Naruto was excited and took a brisk step to a small stall, which, according to the prince, served the best ramen in the whole kingdom. Together, they sat down next to each other and ordered each to their liking.  
„That is if it is not my favourite customer. I haven't seen you in a long time, Naruto,” the chef turned to him with a friendly smile.  
„Yeah, it's been a long time, but you can't forget this booth, old man,” Naruto replied jokingly.

As soon as everyone got their food, they went into it. It fell to the prince, at such a rate that before his grandfather could eat half, the prince already had a whole bowl in him. At that moment, Jiraiya cleared his throat.  
„Naruto… when I found you in a miserable state and it gave me a lot of work to see you laugh… Tell me what happened? I'm sure it has something to do with the kidnapping,... and your heart,” he said seriously.  
The prince looked at his soup. He had no idea what to do and felt tears well up in his eyes.  
„That's good Naruto. If you don't want to talk about it, then…” Jiraiya tried, patting him on the shoulder. Naruto shook his head, wiped away the forming tears, and began to tell the story.  
„I was indeed kidnapped by a dragon, but one thief,… Gaara brought me food and kept me company because when I tried to escape from the dragon, he caught me. Gaara helped me and took care of me. We had fun and… and…”  
„You cared about him, didn't you?”  
„More than I can describe, but Kurama…. Kurama left him…” the prince's voice dropped.  
„Naruto, I'm sorry,” he said, hugging his grandson, who could no longer suppress tears.


	8. Chapter 8

„I think we should go back. I have something to tell you,” Jiraiya suggested, paying for the food and they went to the castle together. They walked through the side corridors so that no one would bother them until they reached Naruto's room. There they sat on his bed opposite each other.  
„What do you have to tell me?” Naruto asked.  
„Do you know how I can't stand in one place and how I like to travel?” he replied, and the prince just nodded in agreement. „As you told me about Gaara, the name seemed familiar to me until I remembered. You know how you were kidnapped by a dragon. So it was a dragon and at the same time your Gaara.”  
„I don't get it.”

Don't worry, I'll explain it to you. A few years ago, I think you were just five, I went to the land of the wind. Directly to the capital in the Kingdom of Sand, to Suna. The king, who had three children, ruled here. He had two sons and one daughter. The youngest son was the same age as you. But their family was not completely normal. Her entire pedigree was fundamentally affected by a curse that lasted for all generations, and even the king's children inherited it. This curse may not have fully manifested itself in their life, but it was still there. For example, I know that this curse was manifested in the king himself and his youngest son. This curse turned them into dreaded and very powerful dragons. It manifested itself most often by the fact that the cursed people turned into dragons during the sunset and changed back during its sunrise. The problem arose when they changed, as the dragon that came to the surface embodied its own personality or their hidden instincts. They had the classic symptoms of dragons as if they loved gold and constantly guarded it.

The king of that kingdom was one of the few who could tame and control his inner dragon. Thanks to that, he could change whenever he wanted and he could also use his power, such as spewing fire. However, his son was much worse off. His inner dragon could completely engulf him, and at times he changed during the day. I was there when it happened and it wasn't very nice. They all hid and prayed that nothing would happen to them and that the king himself had a problem taming his son.

Because of these incidents, almost all people feared the royal family. But they were most afraid of the youngest prince. Everyone avoided him for a mile and he remained abandoned. Even his siblings, who didn't awaken this curse in themselves, avoided him and only confirmed that he was a monster and nothing else. The younger prince believed it.

The second time I visited this kingdom, it turned bad. A group of brave, strong and cruel people who called themselves Akatsuki invaded the kingdom. They encouraged the citizens to revolt and occupied the castle. The king resisted, but when his children were captured, he had to give up. The crown then fell to Sasori, Count of the red, nicknamed bloody, sands who himself was a member of the group.

By the end of the week, they had set new, cruel rules, and the next day the execution took place. The former king was brought to the centre of the square, where he was beheaded in front of everyone. I must say that he held his head up until the last moment and died with the honour he had left. They then brought in his son, who was chained and had a gag around his mouth. People roared at him and threw rotten vegetables and fruit at him. I couldn't look at it. Sasori himself was at the execution, and he then asked, quoting, „What are we going to do with the monster?” The people were silent. No one dared to speak.

„Send him to exile!” I shouted, moving so they wouldn't know who it was. Then I repeated it like this a few more times before the others joined me. Sasori insisted on the execution, but fortunately, he eventually had to give to the people.  
„Sabaku no Gaara, I hereby expel you from this kingdom forever. You will never come here, even if someone wants to. And if you come here for revenge, you will face immediate death. And this will be true even if you ever show up here for any other reason. I will have you executed, but before that, I will execute your siblings before your eyes. Is that clear?” Sasori said.

The prince didn’t react to this and instead let himself be dragged to the borders that united our kingdom. There they sent him away in chains. This is how they got rid of the last probable danger.  
Since that, I haven't heard about Gaara. Only about a dragon that occasionally showed up over our territory and occasionally stole a cow. That is, until his visits began to escalate and he kidnapped you,” Jiraiya finished his story. Naruto listened intently to him all the time and didn't even dare to make a sound.

„So Gaara is a dragon?” he finally asked.  
„Yes Naruto, that's right.”  
„God... poor man, how much did he have to suffer... Gaara isn't bad... maybe he's quiet and doesn't say much, but I can't imagine him as a monster. And now... now he is dead,” the prince sobbed.  
„Oh, Naruto, I didn't mean to upset you,” Jiraiya hugged him. „I’m not sure he died. Kurama said he left him wounded at the mercy of his fate. That doesn't mean he died. Maybe he saved himself and he's coming for you.”  
„Do you think so?” the prince asked.  
„I'm sure of it. Do you want advice? Go to sleep. Get some sleep and you'll be better in the morning. Trust me,” he smiled at the prince.  
„Thanks for the encouragement,” the prince smiled weakly, curled up in the duvet, and fell asleep in a moment.

The old man quietly left his room and went to one of the other empty rooms. There he had one of his informants sent. He gave him a task and an assignment that he must return as soon as possible. Then he went to his room, where Tsunade was already waiting for him.  
„How did you do? ” she asked.  
„Much better than I expected. Now I know what bothers Naruto, ” he replied.  
„Really and what?”  
„Our grandson fell in love, but Kurama told him he had killed his love.”  
„God, that's why he's so sad.”  
„But I have a hunch that his beloved has survived, ” he replied, crawling into bed to Tsunade.  
„What gives you that assurance? ” she asked him. „If you give him false hopes, it will only be worse for him.”  
„I know, I know, ” he replied, turning to his book. When he looked at it, he got an ingenious idea of how to put everything in order.  
„Jiraiya, don't tell me you got one of those crazy ideas.”  
„Excuse me. All my great ideas worked. And I'm sure nothing can go wrong with this,” he replied smugly. He had already planned to explain his plan to everyone except Naruto tomorrow. It will be a surprise for Naruto, of course, and he thinks he will succeed with Minato, who wants his son to get married.


	9. Chapter 9

The next day, early in the morning, Jiraiya had all the members of his family gathered in the dining room. There were all those who were supposed to participate in his plan. Or at least who had to be the first to hear him. So Minato with Kushina, Kurama, Tsunade and of course Naruto.  
„Why are we all here so early? ” Kurama yawned.  
„Because I came up with a plan to cheer Naruto for good and at the same time to expand this kingdom,” Jiraiya smiled happily.  
„And your idea is?” Minato urged.  
„I feel bad about that,” Naruto muttered.  
„My idea is to have a tournament for Naruto's hand. Anyone from the surrounding kingdoms will be able to sign up. Of course, it won't just be that way. They will have to complete three difficult tasks to be worthy of Naruto at all.”  
„I was right. That's a bad idea. I don't agree,” Naruto said angrily. „How can you decide for me like that! You're just like the others! ” he got angry and went to his room.  
„Naruto!” Kushina shouted, but in vain.  
„Just leave him. He'll be fine” Jiraiya smiled.  
„I don't think that's a very good idea. It can only make Naruto worse,” Minato said seriously.  
„Let me finish. What if Naruto's friend signed up for the tournament? And would he happen to win? That would solve everything. Yours and Naruto's problem.”  
„The problem is, I let him die. I saw life run out of him,” Kurama said.  
„Maybe you only saw what you wanted to see,” he replied mysteriously.  
„What do you mean?” Tsunade interjected.  
„Do you believe me or not?”  
„How do you want to do that?” Minato asked.  
„That's how I like it. First, we will send to all the kingdoms that there will be a tournament and the main prize will be a wedding with the prince. We'll give it a month. I think it will be best. I have everything perfectly thought out. All you have to do is prepare the place where the tournament will take place.”

A month later, everything was fully prepared. A total of five candidates entered the tournament. The list consisted of Itachi and Sasuke of the Kingdom of the Uchiha, a mysterious foreigner who introduced himself as Shukaku and represented the Sand Kingdom, Neji, who represented the Kingdom of Hyuga. The last was a masked stranger who introduced himself as Tobi and represented the expanding kingdom of Akatsuki.

All the suitors met in the throne room, where Minato and Kushina sat on the throne in front of them.  
„I warmly welcome you to our kingdom. Since you have all entered the tournament for my son's hand, guests will be welcome here for the duration of the tournament. Each of you will get a room and you will be perfectly taken care of. The already expected tournament will start tomorrow. In order for no one to have an advantage over the others, the discipline will always be announced at the tournament. Is everything clear?” the king greeted his guests.  
„Of course, Your Highness,” Itachi replied politely for all his colleagues.  
„Alright, tomorrow the tournament starts at nine o'clock in the morning. I believe that before the tournament ends, our castle will be a pleasant home for you,” he agreed, and the suitors went to their chambers. Naruto watched the whole process behind a false wall. He already hopes that no one will win. He especially doesn't want to end up with Sasuke and Neji…, and actually with no one else.

Time flew like water and night quickly turned into day. From early in the morning, people tried to take the places with the best views. The last adjustments and preparations were in full swing. At exactly nine, all the suitors were ready for the first task. The royal family was sitting in the stands, and this time Naruto and Kurama must have been there. There were also Tsunade and Jiraiya, who smiled as if they had known the whole course of the tournament for a long time.  
„Ladies and gentlemen, dear suitors, I hereby declare this tournament open. Everyone be prepared because the first discipline is coming. Today's discipline will be archery. Who hits the centre of the target wins and at the same time advances to the next day. Who loses automatically drops out. This doesn't mean that he must leave the kingdom immediately. The loser can stay here in peace until the end of his stay. I wish you all good luck in the match and let the best one win!” with this solemn speech, the king began the expected tournament.

All the candidates stood on their posts and checked their bows once more. Itachi Uchiha was the first to arrive. In front of him were three targets in a row, which overlapped and were separated by ten meters. Itachi took an arrow and set it on fire. He drew his bow, aimed, and hit the second target with absolute accuracy. His arrow flew through the centre of the first target and hit the centre of the second. It couldn't be otherwise, as the first target was on fire and there was a hole in the centre, and of course, everyone could see the burning centre of the second target. The crowd applauded in astonishment. The prince cleared the bow aside again and turned to the audience. He bowed and stepped aside to get a better view of his brother, who was to follow him.

Young Uchiha watched it all with resentment in his eyes. Now everyone thinks Itachi is the better one. He hated that feeling. Sasuke took three straight arrows and drew his bow. He focused on the target and tried to imagine the result. He exhaled and fired. All his arrows hit the exact centre of the first. This attempt was followed by loud applause and the whistling of the fans, which Prince Sasuke had blessedly. Sasuke turned to his brother and grinned triumphantly. Itachi smiled fondly at him. He was happy with his brother.

He was followed by Neji, who carried his head as proudly as Sasuke. Without any circumstances, he took an arrow and fired. He shot the first target and, like Itachi, hit the second. But that was not the end of his work. He immediately took another arrow and fired again. This arrow hit the first one and halved it at the same time. The crowd applauded like mad. They hadn't seen such a performance for a long time.

This was followed by a stranger from the Sand Kingdom. Shukaku was wearing a white shirt and a red cloak with a hood that fell to his face, so the suitor's identity was completely hidden. Shukaku took an arrow and aimed at his target. He just stood there for a moment, and it seemed as if he was incredibly focused when he finally fixed his gaze on the royal family, directly on Naruto, and fired. His arrow flew through the first and second targets and stabbed into the centre of the last target. The crowd didn't even mourn for a second before giving staggering applause. The suitor was oblivious to the applause and instead returned to the shadow of his post to make room for the last participant.

The last suitor called himself Tobi, and except for his black hair, he couldn't tell what he looked like, as he was wearing a long black robe with red ornaments and an orange mask that covered his face. Tobi drew his bow and fired. As with the previous suitor, the arrow hit the third target. In an instant, Tobi fired another arrow, halving the first, while also hitting the third target, and his second arrow struck the fence that bounded the tournament field. The crowd went crazy, clapping and whistling. Such experienced suitors, when one was better than the other and most of them were so handsome. Now they just had to wait until the end of today's tournament to announce the results. Until then, our competitors could rest.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a little bonus on a different couple. Next chapter will be again focused on Naruto.

The Uchiha brothers and Neji each went to their tents, where they intended to rest, replenish their energy in any way, or simply shorten the time to the end. Shukaku was lost in the crowd, and Tobi headed for the stables, which were away from it all. The whole tournament was closely watched by Kakashi, Naruto's teacher and commander of the royal armed forces. Shukaku and Tobi were the most suspicious for him. After watching the strangers' performances closely, he had to check on Tobi. Not because he had it ordered, but because the technique he used could only be used by one person on earth, but that person had been dead for several years. He saw him die himself. And that's the main reason why Tobi was most suspicious of him.

As soon as Tobi went to the stables, Kakashi was immediately on his heels. He watched him from a distance so he wouldn't notice him. As soon as his target disappeared behind the barn door, he immediately followed him. He walked silently through the door but had to stop. Tobi stood in the middle of the room, his back to Kakashi.

„It is forbidden to come here,” Kakashi said.  
„Why are you watching me? As a suitor for the prince's hand, I am guaranteed a safe stay in the kingdom,” Tobi replied in a harsh voice without turning.  
„Since you are from Akatsuki, it does not apply to you. Instead, answer me a few simple questions.”  
„And if I refuse?”  
„I'll force you,” Kakashi replied. Tobi turned to him and made a sound reminiscent of a chuckle. „What's so funny?”  
„Nothing at all, Commander,” he replied.  
„I want to know where did you learn to shoot like that.”  
„It's not your business.”  
„If you don't answer me, I'll just have you locked up. I can handle it. You entered a forbidden place and I don't care if you just did this. The evidence is easy to find, especially when we know you belong to Akatsuki…. Plus, only one person could shoot like that, and he's been dead for years.”  
„You know nothing at all. You're still the same idiot,” Tobi replied, drawing his sword. Kakashi followed.

Tobi was the first to attack, running at his enemy and throwing two small knives at him. Kakashi deflected them lightly, but he didn't have time to properly repel Tobi's attack, and he just escaped with a little scratch on his mask that covered his mouth. But now he did not have time to take care of such details, for his opponent continued to attack tirelessly. They exchanged punches for several long minutes, sometimes succeeding in scratching the other, but not seriously. After a while, as Tobi deflected Kakashi's attack, he turned to the wrong side, creating the perfect moment for his enemy to attack.

Kakashi knew that, of course. He made a fake lunge to the right, and when Tobi avoided him, he loaded Kakashi into the cards, and he struck him hard in the mask with the edge of his sword. There was a crunch. His mask fell apart. The man staggered and fell into the hay. With one hand he tried to hold the mask together, and with the other, he used his sword to scramble to his feet.

„If you're going to hold a mask during a fight, give it up right away.”  
„Phew, I'll beat you with one hand behind back,” Tobi snapped.  
„As you wish,” Kakashi sighed and they fought again. This time Tobi attacked much faster, but less accurately. Kakashi could easily avoid his attacks, except for one, when Tobi cut a mask that covered his face. His mask no longer made sense, so he tore off its remains. Kakashi made a slight twist and kicked him in the back. Tobi tripped and fell on his face. When he got up, he left the remains of the mask lying on the ground. He stood with his back to Kakashi. He turned slowly. As soon as Kakashi found out who his opponent was, he dropped his sword from the shock.

„O... Obito,” Was all he could say.  
„That's right, Bakashi,” Obito grinned.  
„How… I thought you were ...”  
„Dead? When you left me what else could I do?”  
„So how?”  
„It doesn't matter. Now you will pay for all your sins and especially for letting Rin die!”  
„I couldn't protect her…. or you …” his voice dropped.  
„What's this? A pitty? That won't help you! You know I loved her and you let her die anyway! ”He was almost screaming now. „Now, you'll pay for it," he said coldly, pulling out his dagger and lunging at him again.”

Obito lunged, but Kakashi grabbed his wrist lightly in with he held a weapon, and pulled him closer to his body in one motion. Before the other man could do anything, their lips met. The kiss wasn't long, but it could express more than words for it. It was Kakashi who ended the kiss. He pulled away slightly, Obito staring at him in disbelief with his mouth ajar and blush on his cheeks.  
„The whole time you thought I was blind to Rin and I was doing it on purpose, but you were blind to me again. Rin's death was terrible for me, but the loss of you was much worse for me. You suffered for Rin and I suffered for you, ” h e whispered, as if afraid of being heard, and still holding Obito's hand.  
„You're lying! ” h e replied with shaking voice, unable to look him in the eye.  
„Why should I lie to you? At one point, I wanted to take my life and meet you,… especially with you, and tell you the truth…. But I missed my chance then, so I'm telling you now.”  
„I don't believe you!” h e shouted. „I don't want to believe you!”  
„Please, Obito... I love you, ” h e forced himself. Now never.  
„Bakashi, why do you have to make it so complicated? ” t his time it was Obito who was failed by his voice.  
„What do you mean? ” h e didn't understand.  
„But it took you a while, ” he replied, finally looking him in the eye. He smiled faintly at him, his face as red as a tomato.  
„Obito… ”   
„You better stop talking before you ruin it,” Kakashi didn't need to know more. He lunged at Obito and together they fell into a giant haystack, where nothing could stop them.

They then climbed out of the stables only before the end of the tournament, just before the announcement of the results. However, before they left the stables completely, they had to adjust. The right clothes, spare masks and similar things. When they finally adjusted enough, Obito went to the castle to his room, where he was to wait for Kakashi. They had so much to catch up on. Kakashi, on the other hand, headed for the competitors, who were already standing in line and waiting for the announcement of the winner for today.  
„Ladies and gentlemen, I am sure that many of you have been waiting for this moment. I will now declare the winner of the archery, ” Minato said as the candidates were ready. Itachi watched the king, but his eyes then fell on someone else. For someone who didn't like it very much and who had long dark orange hair. His heart pounded and he knew immediately what he had to do. As soon as the king had finished, he raised his hand.  
„I wan to resign from the tournament,” he said proudly without giving any reason. His brother looked at him blankly, but in the end, he just snorted.  
„Well,” replied the king, „... does anyone else intend to resign?” h e asked.  
„Ob… Sir Tobi is also resigning, ” Kakashi said.  
„So be it,” the king said. He knew that Kakashi would tell him more later especially when Tobi belonged to Akatsuki.  
„So back to the announcement of the winner. The winner of today's archery competition is Shukaku, a representative of the Land of the Wind. I also have to congratulate the other participants on their amazing performance and point out that they don't have to worry about anything, they proceed to the next round. Congratulations once again,” the king congratulated, ending the first day of the tournament.


	11. Chapter 11

That evening, the king heard Kakashi's message and allowed Tobi to remain in the kingdom on one condition. He was under house arrest and could only move freely under Kakashi's supervision, which suited both of them. At the moment, the king was more worried about Naruto, who wasn't very interested in the idea of the tournament. Now Minato was beginning to worry, as Jiraiya devised the second task himself. He hasn't told anyone about the task and he intends to announce it only at the beginning.

The next day, they all gathered in the courtyard, which was decorated with garlands, lanterns, and where jugglers and the like walked. In the middle of the courtyard stood a small podium on which sat the royal family. The competitors lined up in front of the podium and waited for their next task.  
„Hi everyone. I'm quite surprised you got up so early for that, ”  Jiraiya laughed as he took over Minato's duty to greet the guests.   
„Today's task will be special. Every amateur can shoot a bow, but since you're running for my grandson's hand, you have to get along well with people. That is your next task. As you can see, there are many groups of beautiful ladies walking through the courtyard and between the alleys, each with one ribbon. Your task is very simple. The winner will be the one who gets the most ribbons at the end of this discipline. And when will you know the end? The end will be announced by the sound of fanfare. The fanfare will sound exactly twenty minutes after the start. Does everyone understand their task? ”  he asked at last. Minato held his head. He knew that only Jiraiya would think of something so stupid. The contestants first looked at each other and had no idea if he was serious.  
„To add, all the ribbons are the same colour, but there is also one golden orange among them, which symbolizes Prince Naruto. Whoever gets it automatically proceeds to the last task. If there are no questions, get ready. We'll start, ” h e called, waving his hand, and at his signal came the fanfare announcing the start of the task. All three young men mingled with the crowd among the beautiful women who had to be deprived of ribbons.

Sasuke immediately headed for the first group. He didn't even have to try, the ladies flirted with him, they tried to seduce him, and they gave him their ribbons almost voluntarily. All he had to do was say a few words from time to time, a smile, a wink, and so on.

Shukaku had a bigger problem with that. The ladies clung to him too, but out of their natural curiosity to know the secret hidden under the hood. They surrounded him with questions about his identity, his origin, what his taste was and so on. Shukaku was silent, focusing more on his goal. He wobbled his eyes, where the girls could have hidden ribbons when he suddenly saw the only one with that golden-orange ribbon. He walked over to her, and she immediately surrounded him, like the others, with questions. He just nodded at the answers, trying to use the sand discreetly with a ribbon. As soon as he succeeded, he left. He got lost in the crowd and set to work in a quiet, inconspicuous place with a proper view. He used sand to get as many ribbons as possible, but his work was slow.

Third, let's look at Neji, who thought it was a waste of his time and potential. He was walking and didn't have much success with the ladies.

As soon as twenty minutes passed, a fanfare sounded and the competitors lined up again in front of the grandstand, where Jiraiya inspected their catch. After evaluating the candidates' efforts, he returned to the stands, where he intended to announce the winner and the order.  
„The boys finally proved their worth. The greatest success in this social discipline was Prince Sasuke, who collected the most ribbons. Congratulations. In second place was Shukaku, who no longer had so many ribbons, but on the other hand, he managed to get a gold-orange ribbon. Congratulations...”  
„I want to resign, ”  Neji interrupted.  
„Why? The tournament i sn’ t over yet, ”  Jiraiya asked.  
„I have changed my mind. I don't want to apply for Naruto's hand anymore. It's just a waste of time,” he replied and left. The people just looked at each other in shock. They didn't expect this.  
„Be that as it may, this makes the situation easier for us for the third and final task, which will take place in the evening. I believe that until then you will all have a good time and whoever needs it can relax. I wish you a lot of fun, ”  Jiraiya smiled and turned to Naruto, who frowned. He just had to smile in his mind, for the plan worked out for him, and he was sure that in the end, Naruto would get the right thing for his aching heart.

  
  


The sun was falling lazily over the woods. A small boxing ring was built on the square, in which the last task was to take place. Lanterns lit up in the area and the eager ones had already found their places as close as possible to have a proper view. The royal family also took their seats and the last two participants of the tournament prepared in the corners of the ring.  
„The last task of the tournament is the match. Whoever wins has the right to marry Naruto. This match will show your true strength and determination. It is forbidden to use any weapons during combat. Let your fists talk. I hereby declare the match started. Begin, ”  said the king, and with a hand signal, the battle has begun.

The two candidates walked slowly into the centre of the ring, measuring their opponents as they walked. They tried to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. In the beginning, they made several practice lunges, testing their opponent. Subsequently, Sasuke attacked and didn't spare his opponent at all. He gave him no chance to attack. Even so, he couldn't touch Shukaku until he took advantage of a series of fake lunges and eventually tripped his legs. Shukaku fell on his back and Sasuke leaned over him with a triumphant grin.  
„You are weak. You're no match for me,” he said through gritted teeth. „And what is this?”  h e noticed a pendant peeking through his tunic. He grabbed it and yanked it from his throat. „How pathetic,”  h e grinned as he examined it and tossed him into the sand.  
„You'll pay for it, ”  Shukaku growled, and behind his hood, you could see his eyes gleaming gold. In an instant, Shukaku kicked him, got to his feet, and with new force and even greater determination threw himself at his opponent. With incredible force and speed, he struck him with crushing blows. He kicked him in the back of the knee so that his legs broke, he rolled forward and with a single blow struck him in the jaw until Sasuke fell a few feet behind him. He tried to get up, but Shukaku stepped on his hand.  
„What are you? ”  Sasuke asked  with a trembling voice.  
„It's none of your business, ”  Shukaku growled, kicking him in the stomach. When he was sure that his opponent would not rise again, he turned to the podium and raised his hand triumphantly.

There was immediate strong applause and whistling from the audience. The referee who was at the match encouraged the winner to appear in the stands to the royal family, who were to personally congratulate him. The whole royal family stood up and waited for the winner to arrive. The king was the first to come to him, thanking him for his incredible performance.  
„Congratulations on your victory. You will receive your reward exactly tomorrow when a giant ball will take place at the celebration. As the winner, you will have a dance with Naruto and then there will be an official engagement. Please accept this ring with the emblem of our family in honour of the victory. Now Naruto… ”  he turned to his son, who reluctantly approached him, „would you like to say something to our winner?”  h e asked.  
„ He doesn't have to. There's nothing to say if he doesn't want to, "Shukaku said, kneeling in front of the prince and kissing his hand. „Your Majesty, I will be  honoured to dance with you tomorrow,” he said mysteriously, emphasizing Your Majesty when Naruto thought he heard a familiar voice.  
„It doesn't matter, ”  Naruto muttered, slipping his hand and leaving without turning once.  
„I am very sorry for my son . ..”  
„It doesn't matter, I'm sure it will all improve during the ball. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to go get some rest, ”  Shukaku replied, bowing to the others and heading for his room, completely forgetting his lost medallion. He had his head full of his reunion with Naruto.  
„What if we went to rest too? Tomorrow will be a big day, ”  Kushina led Minato away. Jiraiya, meanwhile, watched everything and noticed the medallion. He walked to the ring where he thought it was. He rummaged lightly through the sand and found what he was looking for. Pendant in the shape of a fox. All he needed now was to calm Naruto down and convince him that everything would be fine. And this will help him.


	12. Chapter 12

That same evening, Jiraiya visited his grandson, who was looking out the window in his room.  
„How is my  favourite grandson? ” h e asked.  
„How do you think I am? ” h e replied without turning away from the window.  
„What do you say to the winner? Quite a nice mystery, what do you say?”  
„A stranger I'll have to marry because of you, ”  he replied angrily.  
„Well, on the other hand, I think everything will turn out well… Don't you want to turn away from that window? I found something very interesting, and I want to show you, ”  he said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.  
„What is it?”  
„Promise me you'll give my plan another chance first, ” h e took Naruto's hand and looked into his eyes.  
„Well, if I find out he's an idiot, I'll immediately take my feet on my shoulders,” Naruto said firmly at last.  
„That's enough for me, ”  Jiraiya laughed. „I found this today, and I think you should have it better than me,”  h e pressed the medallion into his palm. „You'd better look at it when I'm gone,” he chuckled, ruffling the prince's hair and leaving. 

He just looked at him confused and then turned his gaze to the medallion, which he recognized immediately.  
„How?” he whispered in the silence, pressing it to his heart. Maybe to feel that he isn't alone, that he now has a piece of Gaara with him… But how could his grandfather find the medallion when Gaara is probably dead? His grandfather certainly knows more than he lets know. Maybe he'll go to the ball after all. With this thought and the medallion in his heart, he lay down in bed and begged all night with his dream evening, where his thief or dragon was to be alive and by his side.

  
  


The next day at the castle was complete chaos. The servants ran here and there. They were preparing a large hall for the expected ball, the chefs were preparing a large amount of luxury food, the orchestra was performing the last rehearsals, and the tailor was adjusting the suits to measure. Fortunately, everything was done on time and the ball could begin.

The ball took place in a throne room, which was one of the largest in the castle. There were refreshment tables on the sides, and servants distributed trays of wine among the guests, who had already gathered, waiting for the start. The king and queen sat on the throne, and their sons stood by their sides. However, none of them looked happy. Kurama glared at everyone, and Naruto would rather not be here.  
„Why do I have to be here? ”  Naruto said, leaning over his mother.  
„Naruto . .. ”  Minato began.  
„At least give it a chance, ”  Kushina jumped in and looked at him with a smile but at the same time a look that said he had no other choice.

Naruto preferred not to object. At the king's command, the music began and everyone started dancing. The youngest prince was already planning to sneak through the crowd unnoticed and flee when the eldest son of the Uchiha appeared in front of the royal family. Itachi greeted the royal family with a bow and focused on Kurama. He walked over to him and bowed once more with a seductive smile on his lips.  
„May I ask for a dance? ” h e asked.  
„Not even in...” he wanted to get out of it when Minato jumped in.  
„I'm sure he loves to.  Right Kurama?”  
„With pleasure,” he growled and went to the floor  
„I'm going to see if I can find a winner in the crowd, ”Naruto lied, and before his parents could answer, he was out of sight.

Naruto cautiously pushed his way through the crowd. He was already halfway across the room when someone grabbed him by the shoulder from behind.  
„May I ask for a dance. Your Highness? ” c ame a very familiar voice. The prince immediately turned and couldn't believe his eyes. In front of him stood Gaara in a proper, trim, dark red suit and white gloves. Naruto didn't even try to hide his surprise and could barely contain his tears. He hugged him immediately.  
„This is how the prince and the future king should not behave, ”  Gaara teased, but in reality, he was very grateful for such a greeting.  
„I missed you so much. I already thought I lost you. Especially... especially when Kurama told me he let you die.”  
„I missed you too, ”  Gaara whispered, kissing his hair. They then danced together. They mingled with the other couples and enjoyed their sweet reunion. „You don't even know how I had to struggle to change and not fly for my greatest and most precious treasure,”  h e said sweetly.  
„That might be best. At least I would know that you're alive. What happened?”  h e had to know the truth.  
„I was on the verge of strength, but I survived. I returned to the cave to heal when  your grandfather's spy, who was very  worried about  you, found me. I immediately wanted to come to you, but he had a better plan. Especially if I followed my original plan, they would probably have me locked up or hanged. Instead, I headed back to the kingdom of sand. There, with the help of my siblings, I managed to overthrow the Akatsuki government and gain the trust of my people. Then, according to your grandfather's plan, I entered the tournament. I had no idea what would happen if I revealed myself, but we decided it would be better not to reveal myself until the best time came. Believe me, the waiting was unbearable,” explained Gaara during their dance. It ended exactly when the music was over. The two stepped away and bowed.

„Now I have the last task where I am worried about my life,” the dragon said, pointing to Naruto at his parents. Together they went to the king and queen. Gaara bowed and took off the ring the king had given him the day before.  
„Your Highness, as the winner of the tournament, the king of the kingdom of the sand, and as a loving man I ask you for your blessing, to marry Naruto,” he said humbly and confidently, showing the ring.  
„If Naruto wished it, too,” Minato replied after Kushina and I looked at each other in surprise. They didn't expect Shukaku to be King of Suna himself.  
„Yes!” the prince shouted enthusiastically maybe too loud.  
„In that case…” said the dragon, turning to his beloved and kneeling on one knee. „Will you do me the honour of marrying me?” he asked, adjusting the ring.  
„Yes!” he shouted without thinking and threw himself into his arms with tears he could no longer suppress all evening. „I love you so much.”  
„I love you more,” Gaara smiled and kissed his husband.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the END. Nothing more. Hope you enjoyed their journey.


End file.
